Overview & Reviews

One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.

Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.

Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.

As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.

The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.

The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.

More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.

User Reviews:

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  Best Car Ever - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Rach8121 - January 13 - 10:58 pm

  My Dad bought this car for me when I was 15. 5 years later it has treated me so well and I, well it was my first car I put it through hell. I had 90,000 miles with a new transmission (I said I was REALLY rough on it) and no real problems. Easy to do basic maintanence on. I was recently in an accident and unfortunately my baby was totaled but let me tell you, that car SAVED MY LIFE! Every inch of that car was smashed except where it matters, where I was sitting! I loved that car and am looking at getting another one.

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  Love It - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By David - January 13 - 8:43 pm

  Very sharp looking with a 3/4 Charger look. Rides firm, solid without being harsh. 6 speed automatic shifts quickly and smooth with no lag between gears. Mileage is same as advertised. Full of features like the upper bin that keeps soda cans cool and the hot or cold beverage holder in the console. Both ways work excellent. Interior lighting at night is awesome - almost like high end aircraft! ATC keeps temperature inside constant, no dialing up or down needed once you find your comfort zone. 3.5 engine is quiet and the exhaust has a really cool, high performance sound.

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  96 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.0 liter - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By skinnyshizz - January 13 - 1:13 pm

  No problems at 135000 miles, only replaced brakes one time and spark plugs at 90000 miles, runs good doesnt consume any oil, shifts nice, good quality and ride.

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  SRT-4 performance - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By ListerofSmeg - January 13 - 4:36 am

  This car delivers power in all gears. I drove it to southern California and back to Seattle, Washington and averaged almost 31 MPG! I would never have believed a car with this much power could get that kind of mileage. All my friends are blown away by how amazingly tight this car corners. (some of them own WRXs)

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  A very good car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Michel Masse - January 13 - 2:40 am

  After becoming accustomed to the CVT transmission I will have difficulty to return to another type of transmission. The AWD driving in the last winter in Quebec region was avery good experience. I averaged 26-28 mpg in city driving and 31-32 in open road. After 20 000 km it is a solid car.

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  My Dodge Van - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Randy - January 12 - 10:10 am

  I have loved my Dodge Grand Caravan since I have owned it. It is quite comfortable and I average 20 in the city and around 23 on the highway. It has the 3.8 V6. Ive driven a number of other vans by other manufacturers and none compare to the ride quality of the Dodge in my opinion.

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  Average, Had some problems - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By sgtbrobertsipd - January 12 - 8:56 am

  Purchased a Caliber for my wife in April. Looks decent on the outside, interior leaves a little to be desired. Several times the check engine light came on, ended up being some air/fuel sensor that blew almost on a weekly basis. When it did, the gas mileage went from 30MPG to literally about 8MPG. That was a pain the butt with gas prices. Dodge took care of it, no questions asked. The only other problem we have noticed is the gas pedal is a little sensative. When you push it, there is either a delay or it guns it. With my wife being pregnant, that can be annoying when it jerks her.

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  Above expectations since purchased - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By wjr - January 12 - 1:37 am

  The Intrepid was purchased to replace my European car used in multi-state selling. I was leary of the 2.7 engine not being strong enough to withstand long sustained trips but I was surprised. The car (loaded with 200 # of brouchures and tools)is excellent in any road conditions, any time of year. Balanced mileage is over 22mpg, on freeway alone I usually record 28 or 29 mpg with over 105,000 miles. Usual freeway speeds are 75. Biggest surprise is firmness on ice and the way the body style cuts through head winds. Road noise is more than I like when the surface is chewed up from studs. The 3.5 engine would be better for quickness from start but this one does all I ask and more.

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  The Mini-bus - 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By The Web - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle is just the right size for our family of 7. It has taken us on trips w/ lots of luggage & performed well ... until lately. A bearing sheared in the transaxle & the A/C compressor went out. It had right at 50K miles on it at the time & cost me about $2500 to fix. Neither of these repairs should be seen in the first 100K in my opinion, much less at 50K. Forgot to mention the front end has a problem w/ wearing out shocks & bushings. Am not impressed w/ the quality of van overall, but hopefully we have seen the worst.

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  I miss my 2000 5M Neon! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By JCE20902 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I had a purple 2000 Neon with the 5 speed. I bought it for commuting, but quickly discovered that it was a blast to drive. The interior is very intuitive and the cupholders are wonderful. The sound system was incredible for a base model. Why do people trash Neons and their owners???